Frozen eggs as successful as IVF

Women hoping to delay child birth until later life now stand almost the same chance of getting pregnant using frozen eggs as those using fresh eggs for in vitro fertilisation (IVF), following improvements in freezing methods

Researchers in Japan have enhanced existing 'cryopreservation' techniques to allow the major flaw with freezing eggs - crystals forming and causing structural damage - to be virtually eliminated.

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Scientific director of the Kato Ladies Clinic in Toyko and research leader, Dr Masashige Kuwayama, pioneered the new freezing technique called 'Cryotop', first used on animal eggs.

The process involves snap-freezing eggs in a tiny amount of solution, before storing them in liquid nitrogen rather than conventional methods which expose eggs to protective chemicals and slowly freeze them over several hours.

Of 111 eggs treated using Cryotop, 94.5 per cent survived thawing and after fertilisation, resulted in 12 pregnancies - a success rate of 41.9 per cent compared with 42.5 per cent using fresh eggs.

The new development should open up a wealth of possibilities including allowing young cancer patients to freeze their eggs before being treated with drugs that could damage fertility.

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